Fight on, you Cavaliers
We will defend our might and honor
Drive on to victory
And we will proudly stand and shout:
Go Walsh!…

The words to our Fight Song rang true on Saturday Night! The Walsh vs. Malone game is always a big one- I’ve written you on multiple occasions telling you of the big wins, or the last second “hail marys” that make up this classic rivalry. In this game, however, there were no such “hail mary” passes or last second touchdowns… just a good old Cavalier beat down… YEAH CAVS!

Our beloved mascot Tuck who graduated last year came back to visit us. The upperclassmen had to get a pic with him!!

We put up a stunt with Tuck for old times’ sake

This season, our Cavaliers have had somewhat of a slow start. Until the game on Saturday, we had been under a four game losing streak. Frustratingly enough, each of these losses came at the expense of only a single missed touchdown or field goal, as we have not lost these games by much. As a cheerleader, it is heartbreaking to see our guys working so hard on the field, and still coming up with a loss. Our team has battled through many injuries so far this season, on top of the fact that this is our first real year in the NCAA and we are meeting with many tough opponents.

Before I get to telling you about the game on Saturday, I have to do a quick shout out! This year, the cheerleaders have started a new tradition of team dinners the Friday nights before Saturday home football games. I’m not sure why we didn’t think of doing this before, but it has quickly become a favorite amongst the girls and myself! The cheerleaders and their families that live close to campus host our dinners, and so far we have had two great ones. Morgan and her parents, as well as Kacey and her parents have hosted us so far, for great nights of food and laughs. Anytime you combine 17 cheerleaders and REAL food (such a treat after having to cook for yourself for a month!), it is bound to be a great time. I am looking forward to our next couple of dinners this month! A BIG thanks to Morgan, Mrs. Nunez, Kacey, and Mrs. Wyman!

Team Dinner !

I’m not sure whether it is the usual feeling I get before a Malone game, or a cheerleader’s intuition, but Saturday morning I just knew that the game that night was going to be a big one- and I couldn’t have been more right. We ended the game with a 34-7 win over the Pioneers, having held them to only one touchdown in the third quarter. Not only did our offense do a great job, but our defense recovered three Pioneer fumbles and had two interceptions. How’s that for a comeback after a few discouraging weeks? This win against Malone marked our first official Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), which is the new conference of the Walsh University Cavaliers as official NCAA members. Next week, we are on the road to Ashland University, who is the current leader in the GLIAC. If you get a spare second, say a quick prayer that our team continues to stay driven and playing as the talented team that they are! The cheerleaders will be following the Cavaliers on the road, so we will be present to help to cheer our boys on to victory!

Holding the run through for the team. Almost game time!!

Here Come the Cavaliers!

Gina and I

TOUCHDOWN!

Fight on, you Cavaliers!

… And when the game is through,
And the contest has been won,
We’ll sing a song for Walsh
And cheer you on, our Cavaliers!

Did you know that 25% of all yearly car accidents occur from texting and driving? Did you know that you are 23x more likely to get in a wreck when a cell phone is involved?

We’ve all done it- quickly checked a text at a red light or made sure that your e-mail sent. What seems like a harmless gesture could change your life in a moment. As college students, this is something we need to continually remind ourselves.

I am a residential student, but I have many friends that commute to campus daily; not to mention I am constantly driving to work, football games, etc. While walking into work the other day, I noticed a small group gathering in the downstairs of the David Center. My boss Bernie is not only the Coordinator of Student Activities, but is also in charge of Commuter Services. As part of Campus Safety and Security Week, her department of Commuter Services was putting on an event for their students to pledge not to text and drive. Even though I’m not a Commuter, I felt the need to participate in this event because I thought it was a great cause.

Each student painted their thumb and put their thumb print on a banner to publicly pledge their agreement to put the phone down while driving. Participants also received a thumb band that said “Text Free Driver.” The banner was hung in the David Center for the student body to see. It sounds like a silly gesture, but in reality it really makes you think; how many times do I really check my phone while driving? Is this phone call really THAT important for me to answer right this second, or can it wait until I reach my destination? We’re all guilty of it; but what are we putting at risk? It’s not only our own lives but the lives of everyone around us. Whether we are driving to campus, work, or a sporting event, putting a stop to texting while driving begins with us college students.

What are you putting at risk while texting and driving? Make the pledge with the other students of the University. Don’t tempt fate- that text can wait!

I just arrived home from half-price sushi Monday at A1 with Nicole who was my roommate sophomore year (if you haven’t taken part in this before, you seriously need to. It’s a Walsh student favorite). As I was driving I had the windows down and the country music cranked up, and I got that familiar feeling of excitement that a new fall semester always brings. This sort of not so cold not so warm weather is what I wait for all year long, because it can only mean two things- football season and a new semester at Walsh. WELCOME BACK CAVALIERS!

I hope you all had an amazing summer! I myself had a busy, but great one. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ll remember how I am an orientation coordinator for the university. This summer was my second year as a coordinator, and I welcomed two new coordinators into our orientation family, Chelsea and McKenzie. We became roommates for the summer and little did I know we would not only become co-workers, but I also gained two amazing friends. We spent the summer planning the freshmen orientation weekends, with an all new orientation leader staff. This year proved to be a record year with the number of applications we got from students wanting to be orientation leaders- nearly 100 applications! This is yet another clue into what a close knit, welcoming university Walsh is- the fact that there are so many students willing to volunteer their own time in the summer to welcome the new students to campus. We have so much fun during these orientations, and I sincerely urge you to consider getting involved with this program if you enjoy meeting new people and are passionate about Walsh. As I will graduate this spring, this was my last summer as a coordinator. I can honestly say that I will miss this job immensely. The friends I have made and the families I have met I will carry with me forever. It is not often that you come into contact with people who are so committed to making a difference in someone else’s life, and I am so thankful to have been part of this program!

The three Orientation Coordinators and our bosses Michael and Bernie!

A perk of the Coordinator job is that we get use of a golf cart for the long orientation days.. Chelsea loves driving it the most. I just sit back and relax

Part of our awesome staff… so excited to be helping, even at 8am on the second day of orientation weekend great job guys!

While on the subject of graduation this spring, I just need to ask- WHERE DID THE TIME GO? I can remember moving into Alexis my freshman year, and now I’m an old woman and in my senior year! I am currently applying to graduate schools to eventually get my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. This summer, I spent a lot of time doing observation hours, as required of undergrads to prove their commitment to the field of PT . The physical therapy centers around Walsh are so great about letting us come and observe, and I currently am working with Spectrum Orthopedics in their Therapy and Wellness center. Spectrum is a sponsor for Walsh athletics (and also the group of doctors who tend to my shoulder-that recurring cheerleading injury from last season), so I knew that it would be a great choice for obtaining observation hours. The therapists at Spectrum have been absolutely phenomenal; they have completely validated my desire to become a therapist one day. They have taught me so much about general therapy, the proper way to write and maintain charts, and about various medical conditions that I may come into contact with. Some of them are even graduates of the Walsh PT program, and they have fueled my desire to continue on my education at Walsh (I have always had my sights set on staying at my home away from home!)

This past Saturday marked my very last Walsh football season opener. My best friend Lisa and I were named captains of the cheerleading squad this year, and I absolutely cannot believe that this is my last football season cheering. This year marks our first official year in NCAA Division II, and so far, the Cavaliers have a record of 1-2. We are ranked 5th in our division, and we have high hopes that this season will start us off strong in this new NCAA territory. Also new this year, we have 12 freshman on our squad. Did you catch the game? Didn’t they do an awesome job? SO PROUD OF THEM! Contrary to the young squad we have, we are having an awesome season as well. Not to mention we all have become very close in the past few months … I guess 12 hours of practice a week will do that to you How about a few pics from the game this weekend?…

My boss Michael’s son Cooper… our littlest Cavalier fan!

Upperclassmen picture!

Let’s Go Cavs!

Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I have about three different papers to write. I am only taking one science class this semester, which means that I have four other classes- all of which have professors that love writing assignments. What’s a science major to do??? This is foreign territory! My roommate Kayla and I are watching the Country Music Awards, so I’m not really sure if I’m focusing more on my paper or Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. For those of you who are country fans and know who I’m talking about- I just went to their concert last Friday and I am almost certain that 3/4 of Walsh’s campus was there. One thing is for certain, Walsh has many country fans. Rock on, Cavaliers!

So I was thinking… While I always give you an in depth description of the different events I partake in here at Walsh, I’ve never really shown you what my day-to-day looks like. Then I had this brilliant idea; they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what better way to tell you about my experiences than to show you in pictures! So without further adieu…

I start my day off bright and early at 8AM by going to athletic training to receive physical therapy on my shoulder. I would take a picture, but it’s kind of a challenge to do when one of your arms is hooked up to a STEM machine. Oh well, let’s proceed…

9AM Physics Lecture... way too early for this stuff...

Next up is Organic Chem lecture... one of the toughest classes at Walsh. Different color pens for different mechanisms...

My last class of the day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is Biology. I would take a picture, but it’s simply more notes. I’ll spare you the details… After class, it’s off to my lovely job at Student Activities!!!

My desk at work for Student Activities (Please excuse the mess)... I'm currently multi-tasking making advertisements for various Student Life events this week as well as planning the spring training for our Orientation staff... all while listening to my trusty Pandora Country station!!

My best friend Lisa and Jo who runs the campus Starbucks... I can always count on them to have a nice hot venti green tea waiting for me while I'm working

My roommates and I are always super busy, so after work it is the usual to have a quick family dinner before running off to our various tasks for the night. Tonight was an Italian night, with sauce made by my mom (Disclaimer: The wine glass you see is filled with peach iced tea. My roommate Monica likes to drink it out of a wine glass because she says she feels classy ...)

After dinner, I rush off to my Organic Chem study group with my buddies Shantil and Nikki. While we love each others company, (we hope to one day be in grad school together here ) we sometimes feel otherwise about the difficulty of the material... if you couldn't tell by the photo...

After a quick study session, it's off to cheer a double header basketball game. Otherwise known as a welcomed break from studying! In this picture, we were getting ready to do our last halftime performance of the season! Go Cavs!

Each game, the pep band dresses according to a specific theme that the band director assigns prior to each game. This night was assigned "Biker Night." They did such a good job, we felt it necessary to snap a photo.

After two games (and hopefully two victories,) it’s back to the room for some final homework assignments, and eventually sleep… just to wake up and do it all again! As you can see, they keep us plenty occupied with tons to do around here, and we love every minute of it!!

Ladies and gentlemen, a riddle: What do an injured shoulder and a crashed laptop have in common? Your hint is that neither of these events occurred in consequence of the other. Give up?

You may have noticed that I have been absent from the Life At Walsh world for a few weeks. First off, my sincerest apologies. I hope that you can forgive me and that we can return to being cyberspace pals. Allow me to explain myself.

Reason Number One: Let’s rewind back to right before Christmas break. I may have mentioned to you all about the squads’ preparation for our huge routine that would be performed at halftime of the Walsh vs. Malone game. As you can imagine, the week before was packed full of practices to make sure that we would be ready to bring the house down and remind Malone’s cheerleaders who owns the floor. (Just so you know, we did in fact show them whose boss.) If there’s one thing I have learned about college sports, it’s that in times of intense competition, injuries are bound to happen. For those of you who do not consider college cheerleading to be one such sport, I beg to differ. Case in point; my shoulder. If you are not familiar with the art of stunting, the slightest pointed toe or bend of a knee in a fully extended stunt can bring the entire thing down in a matter of seconds. This is how things got ugly for me- if you’ve ever had another person flatten you into the floor while the majority of their weight lands on your shoulder you can probably sympathize with my pain; basically it could bring a defensive lineman to tears. (Let me clarify, this was no fault of my amazing flyer. She’s the bomb. These things just go with the sport.) Despite being advised not to stunt on it until further notice, I did the intelligent thing and performed the routine anyways. This rendered my arm nearly motionless into the new year. After multiple STEM treatments, an x-ray, and an MRI, you’ll be happy to know that nothing appears to be broken. Until further notice I have become best friends with the trainers and a boat load of ice. All I have to say is that our training staff are saints. It appears that the cheerleaders have become their most active team with injuries this season. Apparently we need to add milk to our diets… While full range of motion has returned I do still have difficulty lifting heavy boxes and opening Gatorade bottles. All I have to say is that it’s a good thing I have really nice roommates! Now that I can move my arm and type without great discomfort, I promise not to neglect you any longer, my loyal readers.

Reason Number Two: I hate technology and technology hates me. Have I ever mentioned to you how much I hate computers? If not, I HATE COMPUTERS. They are both a blessing and a curse. In the past, I have been no stranger to computer issues. This time around however, as the semester came to a close and finals week approached, my beloved, beautiful laptop succumbed to an untimely death. For those of you who play Xbox (or Playstation.. whatever it is), you may be familiar with the “Red Ring of Death.” In regards to my laptop, I like to refer to its crash as the white screen of despair. In a matter of seconds, every sentence of my paper had disappeared into cyberspace faster than I could blink, and had been replaced with a blank white screen never to return. If there’s one department at Walsh that I feel deserves more recognition than they receive, it’s the IT department. They worked for over an hour on trying to revive my hardware, even though they knew from the start it had met its demise. Thankfully, I have an amazing family who understand that it’s almost necessary to have a laptop in today’s college world, and I am the proud owner of a shiny new Samsung laptop. (Thanks again guys!!!) The only downside to this was that I was left disconnected to the world wide web up until now, and consequently this blog.

I know, I know. This is no excuse for why I have neglected to write you the past few weeks. If you are willing to move past this bump in our friendship, then I am willing to forget the whole affair ever happened. Deal? Anyways, I have a super cool blog planned for next week. It will give you a true look inside my daily life at Walsh.. you won’t want to miss it!

With the start of the holiday season, I’ve begun thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share some.

I’m thankful to be a Cleveland sports fan: Alright, I know what you’re thinking. At this point it is really depressing to emotionally invest in any of the sports in this town. After attending the Browns vs. Jacksonville game this past weekend, I am remembering why I’m a fan in the first place. Though it was horribly windy and freezing cold, the 14-10 win in the last few minutes of the game made me realize; If you remain loyal to something, even in the worst of times, your patience will be rewarded eventually. You may be laughing at me for this reasoning, especially after the intense game vs. Cincinnati yesterday that resulted in yet another loss, but I don’t care!! I remain assured that there are others like me left on this campus. After I returned home from the game last weekend I sat in the computer lab finishing up some homework, still wearing my Josh Cribbs jersey (YEAH #16!!!). Within the hour that I was in there, I shared about 15 high fives with other Walsh students who were celebrating the victory just as I was. It makes my heart happy to still see everyone walking around on game days wearing their brown and orange. To all the Browns fans left out there; you are accepted at Walsh!!

I’m thankful to have a Grandma that bakes ridiculously delicious cakes: If you’ve ever had the chance to taste one of my Goggy’s cakes, you can understand why one should be so thankful. Over the years, it has become somewhat of a tradition that every time my family comes up for a game, my Grandma brings us one of her famous cakes. They have become notorious amongst our friends and neighbors for being able to cure any sort of affliction. Most times, a plate is not even necessary as it has become the norm to simply take a fork and dig right into the pan… it tastes even better that way. In a way, I look at these cakes as a metaphor for how lucky I am to have such a caring family behind me. Going to a school as nice as Walsh, I know my family has had to make sacrifices for me to be enrolled in such a prestigious curriculum, and to hopefully one day soon be advancing on into higher education in a Physical Therapy school. It means so much to me that my family has been so supportive over the years, and I give thanks that we have such a close knit relationship. They have made me who I am today!

I’m thankful for the rivalry that is Walsh vs. Malone: The Alumni Arena where our teams play basketball is geared to seat a few thousand people. It’s not every day that you get to witness every single one of those seats filled up. This situation can only mean one thing; the Walsh vs. Malone game. Every basketball season comes a game which brings the student body together in ways that no other competition ever could. If you’ve ever tuned into the cable channel Sports Time Ohio (which also serves as the home of Walsh Cavalier sports coverage… shameless plug, I know,) there is a commercial out currently about rivalry. It’s a bunch of different athletes from area high schools describing their rivalry games in one word. My favorite word used in the commercial is “tradition.” For as long as anyone can remember, the Walsh/Malone game has been a true example of the traditions of school spirit that embodies the Walsh community. The students and faculty of Walsh bleed maroon and gold, and you truly get to see that dedication surface at this game. I believe that in addition to the immense talent our basketball teams have, it is the spirit and support that the fans provide that allows our men’s and women’s teams to keep their ownership of the Mayor’s Cup year after year. I’m thankful to be part of the pride and spirit that backs our athletes to victory.

On that note, I hope to see you all out at the Walsh vs. Malone game tomorrow night. Women tip off at 6pm and the men follow at 8pm. We’re doing our best to make sure that every one of those seats are filled, so come out and show your support!!

I’m thankful that you all have stuck around and read this novel of a blog I have written you. I hope that you all had a great start to the holiday. With Christmas just around the corner, I feel so fortunate that I can look forward to another joy-filled holiday with my friends and family. I wish you all many blessings this joyful season! What are you all thankful for?

Is it seriously November already? Where in the world did this semester go??? With the arrival of this new month my professors are already throwing around the most sacrilegious word that would have even the most non-filtered college student running for the hills crying with their hands over their ears – “finals.” You know how department stores/malls put up their Christmas decorations the second it hits October 1st, and you feel like you’re being thrown head first into the Christmas season without any sort of warning? That’s how I feel about finals… still a whole month to go and I’m having a heart attack over nothing!! Nothing like inducing a state of panic when it is totally not necessary…. Yikes.

Cavalier football season came to an end at our home Fawcett Stadium yesterday with an explosive 60-0 victory over Concordia. These past few weeks have been a turn for the better for the last half of our season- winning three out of the past four games!!! Of course let’s not forget to mention the most important victory of all- the shut out of our archrival Malone in a 35-10 victory. Way to show them who runs the town Cavaliers!! This game (as well as last weekend’s game versus Taylor University) was a night game; I can’t begin to explain to you how good it felt to cheer under the lights again… I can only imagine how the players felt! I’m going to guess though, that if you asked any of us we would give anything to be back under those Friday night lights. Nevertheless, we still have an amazing time out there on Saturday mornings, and I’m sad to see another football season come to a close. It’s so crazy to think that I only have one more year left as a college cheerleader; again I ask, where has the heck has time gone??

Next week marks the beginning of yet another basketball season at the Alumni Arena!!! YEAH!!! Our men’s team will remain on the road until November 29th, which doubles as both our home opener as well as the Walsh versus Malone game. Talk about coming out with a bang! The Walsh Cheerleaders will also be performing a half-time routine, so make sure to stay tuned for that . While our boys are on the road, we are staying super busy with women’s basketball games. Their home season kicks off this Friday, so I better see you all there!! As usual, we are expecting awesome things from both teams this year; both have been polled number one in the AMC pre-season coach’s poll as to who is predicted to win the entire conference. Pretty impressive isn’t it? We sure think so.

On a sad note, on Wednesday, October 19th, the Walsh community experienced a great loss in our family. Brother Joseph Power, one of the Brothers of Christian Instruction here on campus, passed into the loving arms of the Lord after his long battle with cancer. It is truly impossible to put into words what an amazing person Brother Power was. If you ever had the great pleasure of meeting him, you’d know what I mean. He was a great scholar, teacher, and storyteller. With so many life experiences (how many people can say that they studied under C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien??), he was always full of advice and had so much wisdom to share. I, as well as many of the other students here on campus, always made it a point to take the back way to our 8 a.m. classes just so we could have our morning chats with Brother Power as he sat on the porch of La Mennais Hall. As a beautiful memorial, there now remains a picture of Brother Power in that favorite chair of his, so that the students and faculty can still get to see his bright smiling face in the morning on their way to classes. I know that my summers will never be the same, as I always enjoyed stopping by La Mennais as I was running around doing my errands. Enjoying a few minutes in the company of Brother Power was a great way to get through a hectic day in the office, and I will forever cherish those moments spent with him. One thing is for certain, heaven is in the company of a remarkable new angel. Rest in Peace Brother Power, your Walsh family will never forget you!

“We are all different but we are all made in the image of God, each of us a unique note in that divine symphony. I turn to the great C.S. Lewis who reminds us that there is no insignificant life and there are no ordinary men and women. We are all made in the image of God and destined for an eternity of joy – I believe that.” –Brother Joseph Power

Hello everyone, Currently writing you from the comforts of my home back in Elyria- what a strange feeling! It has been a crazy long time since I’ve been back here, and I gotta admit it’s pretty refreshing. Though I love my home away from home at Walsh, it will be so nice to kick back for the next couple of days with the family and to enjoy some of my mom’s home cooking (right when I was getting sick of peanut butter and jelly every night for dinner.) If there’s one thing I’ve learned being in a Catholic school for 15 years of my life, it’s that every once in awhile you get a day off here or there without ever really knowing why. I can only assume this is because they are rewarding us students for weeks of hard work under a rigorous curriculum, but who’s complaining?? We’ll go ahead and assume that is the reason I am currently enjoying said days off for our Fall Break, even though it will be spent cramming for my tests next week. Isn’t the point of a break to relax you ask? Probably…. But not in my time!

I’ve had a pretty busy couple of weekends as far as athletics are concerned. Last weekend myself and six other upperclassmen cheerleaders hit the road to Indianapolis to Marian College, to root on our Cavalier football team. Since the trip was 5 and a half hours one way, we left a day early and stayed the night at a hotel. The name of the hotel was “Caribbean Cove,” and I think you can assume from the name what our stay entailed… WATER PARK!!!! For college age cheerleaders, I think we reacted to a water park the same way that the 7 year old boys’ birthday party that was there did. After about a hundred trips down the water slide and through the lazy river we called it a night by having a nice dinner in one of the three restaurants in the hotel- it was such a nice place! A few of the girls even left the water park with a proposition to be taken out on a date by a cute boy; he just turned 9 last month. Hilarious… too cute. :) I always love going on away trips with the squad. It’s kind of like the ultimate bonding experience when you have to ride in the same van a total of 12 hours; it’s a good thing we all love each other! The game itself was a pretty great one. Marian has been notorious this season for mercilessly beating every team it plays… they beat Malone 55-0! Wow!! Though we lost, we ended the game with a 20-13 score, losing by a mere touchdown. This was pretty impressive considering the Cavs are the first team to score on Marian ALL SEASON, let alone keep pace with them throughout the entire game. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. All in all, the trip was tons of fun…. except for the fact that it gave me a nasty case of bronchitis with which I am now infecting the rest of the team. Oh well, a little bit of mom’s nursing this weekend will fix me right up!

Yesterday, we met with another one of our rivals, St. Francis. This game finally brought us home to Fawcett Stadium after being on the road for the whole month of September. This was a particularly huge game for the fact that we have lost to St. Francis 14 years in a row… ouch! This game would be the last time we would ever play this school, due to the fact that we made the transition to the NCAA and they did not. I’d say we left a mark on them with the double OT game that resulted. We lost by a mere extra point and ended with a score of 41-42. We are nothing but proud of our boys, they have been working so hard despite so many injuries this season. The maroon and gold will keep fighting! Next weekend, we meet with our archrivals Malone during a 7pm game for Fall Family Weekend. Say it with me everyone- CROSS TOWN THROWDOWN!!! I hope the Pioneers are ready for us! Here’s where the Walsh fans come in- we need everyone to attend in full Cavalier spirit… you can be sure Malone fans will be representing in full force. It is our duty as Walsh U to outdue them. It’s the biggest game of the season, and our guys need and deserve our full support!

Well friends, I must leave you to go study the Microanatomy of the tissues of the human body. I know, it sounds terribly exciting. I sent my dad off to get me the particular neon note cards that I simply MUST have in order to study properly, so we’ll see if he found the right ones (yes, I am spoiled). See you all next week at the Malone game. :) Until next time, Go Cavs!!!!

I apologize for neglecting you the past week and a half… it seems as though this semester has opened up and swallowed me whole…totally not exaggerating. I’m not sure what possessed me to take five science classes, but I assure you that I won’t be doing THAT again!! I love all of them so far, but these past couple of weeks I’ve found myself in the library more than I have been in my own room. As far as I’m concerned, I’m about one Microanatomy test away from dragging an air mattress in there and calling it a day.

While I have been busy studying, I’ve of course taken some time off to relax. My friends and I have a tradition that we created our Freshman year where we dress up and go to a nice restaurant whenever it is one of our birthdays. My roommate and close friend Monica’s birthday was in August, so we decided for the heck of it to celebrate a few weeks late (we’re always looking for a good reason to dress up and put on a good pair of heels). There is a vineyard called Gervasi right down the street from Walsh, and we’ve heard so many great things about it that we decided it was as good a time as ever to go and check it out. What a great choice it was! The weather was so nice we decided to eat outside on the patio. Not only is it set in the middle of the beautiful vineyard, but they had live music as well! We definitely will be going back soon!

My roommates Kayleigh, Monica, and I at Gervasi... such a gorgeous place!

Group shot of the 4 of us in front of the water

The month of September has been pretty quiet for me as far as football games. Our first game was the first week of the month, and the team has been on the road ever since. We had a pretty great showing the first weekend; it was one of the biggest home opening crowds since I’ve been a cheerleader here at Walsh. Unfortunately, we lost in overtime to Notre Dame College. We haven’t been having the best luck this season, but today we got out first victory on the road against Urbana- WAY TO GO BOYS! I did not travel this game due to the fact that I am going next weekend to the game at Marian in Indiana. It’s a far drive, so we’re leaving Friday morning and staying in a hotel connected to a water park… SWEEETTT!!!! I am so, so, SO excited! Naturally in me deciding not to travel today, Jim Tressel was in attendance at the Walsh-Urbana game rooting on the Cavs. Word on the street is that he’s good friends with our very own Coach Dennison… our Freshmen cheerleaders even got a picture with him! He must be a good luck charm-maybe we can get him to come to a few more of our games!! Our home games kick back up the weekend after next. We even have a few night games this October. I cannot explain how great it’s going to feel to be cheering under the lights again! Just like the old days of Friday night football!

Group shot!

Lisa and I!

Myself, Ally, and Lisa

Last weekend my BFF Lisa and I, along with our two cheerleading coaches, went to the Jason Aldean concert at Blossom Music Center. Pretty much ¾ of Walsh’s student body was in the sold out crowd of 20,000 concert goers. I have been to a TON of concerts in my life; it’s definitely one of my favorite Summer/Fall activities. I can easily say that this was one of the BEST concerts I have ever seen (next to Rascal Flatts, of course!) It was too funny how many of my peers I saw there… apparently the Walsh campus is full of country music fans!! You can bet that I will be going to a Jason Aldean concert again sometime soon… so much fun!

At the concert! (Please excuse my color combination, I was a little chilly and a coat was necessary!)

Pretty close for lawn seats!!!

This is my attempt at taking a picture of the crowd of 20,000 people... wow!

Well everyone, I’m sorry this blog was a little short and sweet. I promise that this next week I will engage in some activities that are a bit more exciting. I only have one test on Monday so I should be able to emerge from my home at the library (though I have to admit the cappuccinos I get out of the vending machine there are bomb. I know what you’re thinking… coffee in a vending machine? Yup. Best 75 cents I’ve ever spent.) Take care everyone. I’ll let you know how the waterpark turns out.

The first week of school has come and gone so quickly. The other day someone asked me what year I am in college, and my own response surprised me- Junior??? When did I get so OLD???!!! I cannot begin to describe how crazy fast my undergraduate years have been flying by; kind of bittersweet if you ask me! With the arrival of the largest Freshman class in history to the Walsh campus, I find myself reflecting on the past two years. Believe it or not, I’ve learned a thing or two while here. Watching all of the newbies try and find their way the first week, I began to think of all the things that I wish I could tell them. Then it hit me, I have this wonderful blog… why not share my wisdom with the world??? So without further delay, I present you;

Top 4 Things That I Have Learned in College:

1. It’s okay to ask for directions if you’re lost; the upperclassmen won’t throw you in a trash can… yet. Totally kidding… we won’t throw you in a trash can. I will never forget my first day of class at Walsh; I was so completely lost it was embarrassing. The first person I saw was Marc Malleske, a then Sophomore and now good friend of mine. Clearly I was in panic mode and without thinking twice he asked me what I was looking for. It was so nice of him to help my scared Freshman self, and to this day I remember how good it felt to know that someone was looking out for us new students. Because of him, I try to pay it forward every now and then. To all of the lost Freshmen out there- I will gladly be your guiding light if you need me.

2. There are more opportunities to set off the fire alarm than one could ever imagine. Word to the wise; if you can’t make Easy Mac, you should probably learn before you get to campus. Myself, and pretty much any other upperclassmen can attest to the 2 a.m. fire alarms in the winter that Easy Mac DOES burn if you don’t put enough water in. And it will set off every alarm in the building. And it will take the fire department 20 minutes to respond because you might say they are rather used to these kinds of calls from us. We must not forget to mention curling irons left on towels in the bathroom, grease from grilling chicken on a George Foreman, burnt popcorn because you forgot the Walsh microwaves operate at hydro-speed, or a dehumidifier because your room affects your “asthma” (if I’m being honest, you should probably leave that at home. Your dorm mates will find you and hurt you after the third time. True story.) I have had enough experiences of running burnt popcorn bags to the window to tell you that this is one of the most important things to remember as a college student.

3. Caffeine is your friend, but not at 11 p.m. I’ve been there- procrastination got the best of you and now you have to pull a late night cram sesh for a test tomorrow. Your first thought? Down the largest can of energy drink known to man. Wrongggg. Though many of my flex dollars have been succumbed to the Bucket for a late night of studying in Lemmon Hall, I will be the first to tell you that Redbull works great the first four hours, but when you’re ready to get the three hours of sleep left before your gigantic exam it doesn’t know when to quit. You will then be suffering from a lack of sleep on top of your unpreparedness. Step away from the Redbull, and study a day earlier. You won’t fail from lack of sleep and you won’t have to put up with the massive crash after your 2 liter Redbull wears off.

4. Studying is good; too much of it may be harmful to your sanity. If there’s one piece of advice I will never forget, it came from my Resident Assistant Freshman year. A fellow science major, she was a veteran at late night Biology studying and could tell I was on my last will to live. (Not really, but it sure feels like it after staring at lab slides for 4 hours.) She told me that I needed to put down the books and live a little. Weekends are for relaxation, not cramming. You owe it to your brain to take some time off and chill out with your friends. It took me a long time to tell myself this, but I now know that it is necessary every now and then to step back and blow off some steam!

There you have it. My little tidbit of advice for all of you fresh faces here on campus. I have a lot more wisdom (ha, ha) to share, so if any of you ever need some guidance I’ll be more than happy to share it with you! If I could tell you one thing about surviving your first year here, it’d be to enjoy every single second of it! Time passes so quickly, and you would be crazy not to cherish every second of it because these are the best days of our lives!!! And now, a recap on my week:

This semester is going to be ROUGH! Five science classes and not an “easy A class” to spare! The good news is that I am enjoying all my professors and am looking forward to a great semester. This past week, UPB was busy planning all sorts of events to welcome the students of Walsh into another fantastic year. Always a favorite, my BFF Lisa, and my BRF (best roomies forever) Monica and Kayleigh all went to the movie on the lawn. All inclusive with a giant screen and walking tacos, we settled in on the grassy knoll to watch “Fast Five.” It was so much fun! Wednesday night we started our school year cheer practices, and welcomed it with two new additions; a stunting Cavalier and two male cheerleaders. Our awesome Walsh U mascot, Jordan Tucker, has been coming to our practices to learn some basic stunts and band dances so that he can perform with us more this season. Talk about an awesome mascot right??? We’re hoping as the season continues we can teach him more things. The only problem is that the mascot head gets in the way because it’s so massive. I’ll keep you updated on that one, it’s probably going to get interesting. Our second addition is two male cheerleaders. Unfortunately, they’re not permanent members of the Walsh cheerleaders, but they are coming from the gym Cheer 11 in New Philadelphia, OH. One was a cheerleader at Akron, and the other is the owner of the gym. They have started coming in to help us learn some crazy stunts! We’re always up for trying daring stunts, and it makes it A LOT more comfortable to attempt when you have two 300 pound guys to catch you when you fall.

On that note, our Walsh Cavalier football team took their season opener on the road to Cumberlands in Kentucky this weekend. Unfortunately they lost 34-14, but FEAR NOT! Our home opener kicks off this Saturday at noon against Notre Dame, and we WILL get a victory! Since our team was on the road this weekend, I got to make a rare trip home for Labor Day to see my family. For even more of a treat, I got to catch my boyfriend Nick’s football game at Oberlin College. Nick plays free safety for the Kenyon College Lords. Though I’m always the Walsh Cavaliers’ biggest fan, I took time out to be a proud girlfriend and rooted for the purple and black J I had never been able to catch one of his college games because of my hectic schedule, so it was extra special that I got to go to this one!!

Nick and I

Well friends, I’d say I talked (well, wrote) your ears off for long enough. For all of you Freshmen out there- fear not. Your transition into college will become easier as the weeks roll on. As I said before, I’d be more than happy to help any of you find your way! Secondly, all of you reading this have no excuse not to come to the game this weekend because Giant Eagle across the street is sponsoring it- go get your free tickets today! See you then!!!